Sri Jayadeva Goswami was a renowned devotee and poet of the Bhakti tradition. He was born during the reign of Maharaja Lakshmana Sena of Bengal, either in the eleventh or twelfth century, and is celebrated for his devotional compositions dedicated to Lord Krishna.
Family Background and Early Life
His father was Bhojadeva, and his mother was Vamadevi. Sri Jayadeva Goswami spent many years in Navadvipa, then the capital of Bengal. His birthplace is generally considered to be Kendubilva in the Birbhum district, though some authorities suggest Orissa or southern India as his birthplace.
Literary Contribution – Gita Govinda and Dashavatara
Sri Jayadeva Goswami is best known for his famous work Gita Govinda, which beautifully expresses the transcendental feelings of separation (vipralambha) of the gopis from Lord Krishna before the rasa dance, as described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. He also composed Dashavatara, narrating the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Many Vaishnava scholars have written commentaries on Gita Govinda, highlighting its devotional depth and artistic beauty. Lord Chaitanya’s Relishing of Jayadeva Goswami’s Poetry During His stay at Jagannatha Puri, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would spend nights immersed in the meanings of the Shikshashtaka in the company of Svarupa Damodara Goswami and Ramananda Raya. He would sometimes recite verses from Jayadeva Goswami’s Gita Govinda, the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Ramananda Raya’s Jagannatha-vallabha-nataka, or Bilvamangala Thakura’s Krishna-karnamrita, becoming fully absorbed in ecstatic emotions. For the twelve years that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu lived at Jagannatha Puri, He relished these transcendental verses, tasting their deep devotional mellows.
Exalted Nature of Jayadeva’s Works
Sri Jayadeva Goswami’s Gita Govinda is meant for realized souls. The transcendental moods of Krishna and Radha cannot be understood by ordinary readers and may be misinterpreted as mundane love affairs. Only those purified by devotional practice can fully relish and appreciate the ecstatic sentiments expressed in his poetry.
Later Life
Sri Jayadeva Goswami passed his final days in Jagannatha Puri, continuing his devotional service and poetic compositions, inspiring generations of Vaishnavas with his works
Sri Jayadeva Gosvami was the head pandita in the court of King Sri Lakshmana Sena. His father was Bhoja deva and his mother, Bama devi. His wife’s name was Padmavati. He made his appearance at Kendu-bilvagram in the district of Birhum, during the eleventh century.
During the time that he was engaged as head pandita of king Lakshmana Sena, he resided at Navadvipa on the banks of Ganga. He stayed with three other panditas who were also his close friends. He has mentioned their names in his Sri Gita-Govinda: Sri Umapatidhar, Acharya Sri Govardhan and Kavi Kshamapati.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to especially relish hearing the Gita Govinda as well as the works of Chandidas, Vidyapati, Ramananda Ray and the Krishna-karnamrita by Bilvamangala Thakur. Sri Gita Govinda is full of intimate pastimes of Sri Sri Radha Govinda and is therefore meant for those who have accumulated sufficient spiritual piety.
In the Gita Govinda, while writing about the pastimes of Radharani as She repented after Krishna had gone away, he became lost in thought. Not being able to decide whether or not he should write a particular verse, he decided to first take his bath, and return to his writing later. While he was taking his bath, Krishna Himself personally appeared in the form of Jayadeva, took his meal and then wrote down that very verse with His own hand. Then, while Padmavati was accepting her meal, Jayadeva returned from taking his bath in the Ganga. Padmavati was completely startled to see her husband, and Jayadeva too was surprised to see that his wife was accepting her meal before him (which is never done by Hindu wives). Finally she explained that he had already returned and taken his meal, and then gone to his room. Jayadeva went to where he had been writing and saw the verse that he had been considering whether to write or not, now composed in golden letters. With tears in his eyes and voice choked up he called out to his wife, “Padmavati! You are so fortunate! You had darshana of the Supreme Lord!”
Bhaktivinoda Thakura has commented that even though Sri Gauranga Deva hadn’t revealed His internal pastimes at that time, within the heart of Sri Jayadeva, Sri Bilvamangala, Sri Chandidas and Sri Vidyapati, the transcendental mood of Mahaprabhu was awakened even before He Himself actually made His appearance.
Jayadeva Gosvami also composed a book named Chandraloka. His disappearance is on Pausha Sankranti. He also composed the celebrated Dashavatara stotram.
His worshipable Deities, Sri Sri Radha-Madhava, are being worshipped in the former temple of Radha-Govinda just outside the present city of Jaipur.
